Christian mysticism
Christian mysticism refers to the development of mystical practices and theory within Christianity. It has often been connected to mystical theology, especially in the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions. The attributes and means by which Christian mysticism is studied and practiced are varied and range from ecstatic visions of the soul's mystical union with God to simple prayerful contemplation of Holy Scripture (i.e., Lectio Divina). Etymology[edit] "Mysticism" is derived from the Greek μυω, meaning "to conceal",[1] and its derivative μυστικός, mystikos, meaning 'an initiate'. In the Hellenistic world, a "mystikos" was an initiate of a mystery religion. In early Christianity the term "mystikos" referred to three dimensions, which soon became intertwined, namely the biblical, the liturgical and the spiritual or contemplative. Definition[edit] Presence[edit] Presence versus experience[edit] Personal transformation[edit] Social constructionism[edit] Development[edit] Gospels[edit]
Wicca
This pentacle, worn as a pendant, depicts a pentagram, or five-pointed star, used as a symbol of Wicca by many adherents. Wicca is a diverse religion with no central authority or figure defining it. It is divided into various lineages and denominations, referred to as traditions, each with its own organisational structure and level of centralisation. Terminology[edit] Application of the word Wicca has given rise to "a great deal of disagreement and infighting". Beliefs[edit] Beliefs vary markedly between different traditions and individual practitioners. Theology[edit] Altar statues of the Horned God and Mother Goddess crafted by Bel Bucca and owned by the "Mother of Wicca", Doreen Valiente Duotheism[edit] The God and the Goddess[edit] For most Wiccans, the God and Goddess are seen as complementary polarities in the universe that balance one another out, and in this manner they have been compared to the concept of yin and yang found in Taoism. Pantheism, polytheism and animism[edit]
Language of the birds
In mythology, medieval literature and occultism, the language of the birds is postulated as a mystical, perfect divine language, green language, adamic language, enochian language, angelic language or a mythical or magical language used by birds to communicate with the initiated. History[edit] In Indo-European religion, the behavior of birds has long been used for the purposes of divination by augurs. According to a suggestion by Walter Burkert, these customs may have their roots in the Paleolithic when, during the Ice Age, early humans looked for carrion by observing scavenging birds.[1] There are also examples of contemporary bird-human communication and symbiosis. Ukrainian language is known as "nightingale speech" amongst its speakers. Mythology[edit] Norse mythology[edit] In Norse mythology, the power to understand the language of the birds was a sign of great wisdom. The legendary king of Sweden Dag the Wise was so wise that he could understand what birds said. Greek mythology[edit]
Icelandic magical staves
Icelandic magical staves (sigils) are symbols called Galdrastafur in Icelandic, and are credited with magical effect preserved in various grimoires dating from the 17th century and later.[1] According to the Museum of Icelandic Sorcery and Witchcraft, the effects credited to most of the staves were very relevant to the average Icelanders of the time, who were mostly subsistence farmers and had to deal with harsh climatic conditions.[1] Table of magical staves[edit] Font[edit] See also[edit] References[edit] ^ Jump up to: a b "Staves or magical signs"Jump up ^ Lbs 4375 8vo, Iceland, 1900-1949 in the National Library in ReykjavíkJump up ^ From a 17th-century grimoire, in the Antikvarisk-Topografiska Arkivet in Stockholm.Jump up ^ [1] Huld Manuscript ÍB 383 4] in the National Library in ReykjavíkJump up ^ From a 19th-century manuscript, lbs 4375 8vo, in the National Library in Reykjavík.Jump up ^ External links[edit]
Doppelgänger
In fiction and folklore, a doppelgänger or doppelgaenger (/ˈdɒp(ə)lˌɡɛŋə/ or /-ˌɡæŋə/; German: [ˈdɔpəlˌɡɛŋɐ] ( ), literally "double-goer") is a look-alike or double of a living person who is sometimes portrayed as a harbinger of bad luck. In some traditions, a doppelgänger seen by a person's relative or friend portends illness or danger while seeing one's own doppelgänger is said to be an omen of death. In contemporary vernacular, the word doppelgänger is often used in a more general sense to identify any person that physically or perhaps even behaviorally resembles another person. Spelling[edit] The word doppelgänger is a loanword from German Doppelgänger, consisting of the two substantives Doppel (double) Gänger (walker or goer).[1][2] The singular and plural form are the same in German, but English usually prefers the plural "doppelgangers." Mythology[edit] In Norse mythology, a vardøger is a ghostly double who precedes a living person and is seen performing their actions in advance.
European witchcraft
Belief in and practice of witchcraft in Europe can be traced to classical antiquity and has continuous history during the Middle Ages, culminating in the Early Modern witch hunts and giving rise to the fairy tale and popular culture "witch" stock character of modern times, as well as to the concept of the "modern witch" in Wicca and related movements of "contemporary witchcraft. History[edit] Antiquity[edit] Instances of persecution of witchcraft are documented from Classical Antiquity, paralleling evidence from the Ancient Near East and the Old Testament. In Ancient Greece, for example, Theoris, a woman of Lemnos, who is denounced by Demosthenes, was publicly tried at Athens and burned for her necromancy. In the imperial period, it is evident from many Latin authors and from the historians that Rome swarmed with occultists and diviners, many of whom in spite of the Lex Cornelia almost openly traded in poisons, and not infrequently in assassination to boot. High Middle Ages[edit]
Mysticism
Votive plaque depicting elements of the Eleusinian Mysteries, discovered in the sanctuary at Eleusis (mid-4th century BC) Mysticism ( pronunciation ) is "a constellation of distinctive practices, discourses, texts, institutions, traditions, and experiences aimed at human transformation, variously defined in different traditions."[web 1] The term "mysticism" has Western origins, with various, historically determined meanings. In modern times, "mysticism" has acquired a limited definition,[web 2] but a broad application,[web 2] as meaning the aim at the "union with the Absolute, the Infinite, or God". Since the 1960s, a scholarly debate has been ongoing in the scientific research of "mystical experiences" between perennial and constructionist approaches. Etymology[edit] "Mysticism" is derived from the Greek μυω, meaning "I conceal",[web 1] and its derivative μυστικός, mystikos, meaning 'an initiate'. Definitions[edit] Spiritual life and re-formation[edit] According to Gellmann, D.J. And James R.
